Wear out our lives in teaching the truth

well we finished the exchange this week, haha I didn't have cambios and my companion didn't either....ni modo.... but in this exchange I had more lessons and more contacts than I have had in a single exchange in my whole mission. So I'm progressing. Yeah... haha naw, but the area is progressing well. We are going to have 2 baptisms in May and with just a little more effort 5 in June.

I only have 5 more exchanges...30 weeks, I've been on the mission for almost a year and a half, I have the experience, I can speak, there really is not excuse. If I can't get better and better every transfer and have more and more converts every transfer, then I'm not trying or I'm here to learn pure patience and long suffering hahahhaha espero que no...

J. (the guy that came to church drunk last week) is progressing well, haha he stopped drinking this week and him and his wife (his wife is a member) had an interview with the branch president to try and get their life in order and the left the office ready to face the world. J. has told us he doesn't feel ready to be baptized so we postponed his baptismal date because let's be honest...no he's not ready... but he's getting there.

There is one scripture that has defined this last exchange D&C 123:12-13

 12 For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—

 13 Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—

I feel like I wore out my life this exchange, I literally can not remember one night when I didn't pass out right at 10:30...but I also still didn't give it 100% its just the tip of the iceberg, in this exchange more than any other thing I learned how to lose myself, how to waste and wear out my life in missionary service. This next exchange is gonna be a good one.

Oh and F. got baptized on Saturday 4/25/2015 in Tlahilio!

Edified vs. Planchar

This week was kinda crazy, we set a goal to have 100 street contacts this week in addition to 40 lessons, and we did it, haha but it was hard. It's hard to be a leader in the mission cuz your always thinking about how you gotta set the example so you gotta reach your goals, haha so I'm kinda stressed but hey I'm losing myself more every day so its a good stress. We worked hard this week and to end the week on Saturday we took a bus to a little town called "20 of November" to see one of our investigators that accepted a baptismal date and came to church last week. It costs 25 pesos and is about an hour in the bus to get there so its a little sacrifice but it's worth it to help the investigators progress. Haha that what was going through my mind as we got off the bus and started walking to his house, only to find that him and three of his friends are outside drinking beer having a party....I was so angry....haha... so we went in the house to talk to his wife (a member) and the minute we went in the house, he and his buddies scuttle into a car and take off... . . . . no me venga..... 

 

So we told her we would come back when her brother got home so we could at least teach her a lesson (we can't be in a house alone with a woman). Haha so were mopin' around in this podunk town in the middle of nowhere trying to find somebody and everybody gave us the usual, "I'm catholic, I don't care what you say, I was born catholic, I will die catholic." So I was about ready to call it quits on this place and say "We'll see you all in the second coming..." but we decided to go back and visit this lady and her brother (an ex-missionary that has committed some serious sins...yikes). 

 

So we go back, and we found the ex-missionary hanging out with his girlfriend. Haha he gives us both a big hug and the usual "I was a missionary too" stuff.... I wasn't buying it and he always says he's gonna change, but never does, so in my mind I was thinking, let's just teach this guy quick, and head for home. So we all sit down and started talking about Jesus Christ and covenants and boom the Spirit came in the room and took over. 

 

There is a word here in the mission "planchar" it literally means to iron but there is a phrase in the mission that we are gonna "planchar" our investigators which basically means were gonna tell them that they aren't doing what they're supposed to, haha were gonna yell at em.. it's a terrible tactic cuz it just gets the investigator angry and we end up with nothing. 

 

But there is a huge difference in planchar and tell your investigator that what they are doing is wrong with the help of the Spirit, and that's what happened with this guy, we spoke by the Spirit, we reminded him of his convenants and of His Savior. I don't really remember everything we said but I definitely remember that we all felt humbled but edified. And that's the difference between planchar and reprimand with the Spirit, the investigator realizes what they are doing is wrong, but they are edified, not put down. So we leave the lesson with him promising us that he would come to church tomorrow with his sister, her husband (the drunk dude) and his girlfriend (a catholic lady that has never heard about the church). He has said that 10000 times to other missionaries so we left still doubting, cuz were idiots....

 

He came, with his girlfried, and his sister, and his brother in law..... I literally couldnt believe it....this kid hasnt showed up to church in years and not only did he show up but he brought the party with him.... God -1    E. Roberts - 0 .....haha 

 

He always beats me.....

 

So bottom line we are progressing well here, 100% with the help of Heavenly Father, we can't do anything without Him.

Being a Consecrated Missionary

The most important thing in the mission is the Spirit. I know everyone always says it but it really is 100% of the mission, the Spirit. We aren't here to speak for ourselves, we are here to be the mouthpieces of the Spirit. When I got on the mission I immediately went into focusing 100% on spanish, spanish, spanish, because it was my most obvious weakness, I looked at other missionaries and thought, if I could just speak spanish like that guy I would be such a better missionary. 

Unfortunately I didn't focus too much on learning to teach by the Spirit, and that was a huge mistake that I have paid for many times on the mission. I don't care if your native, I don't care if you are charismatic and funny and bold and everything else that is useful as a missionary, If you don't have the Spirit - YOU ARE NOTHING.

Charisma, a sense of humor, all that makes for good friends of investigators that are just coming to church because they like their missionaries, and when the missionaries leave, so do the investigators, nothing makes a convert but the Spirit.

LEARN TO TEACH BY THE SPIRIT. When you feel slow and not smart at the start of the mission because you can't understand and can't be understood, no amount of language study will save the lesson, The Spirit saves the lesson. When you have more experience in the mission and are more comfortable speaking, no amount of confidence will save the lesson, The Spirit saves the lesson. 

So with this talk (Becoming a consecrated missionary) and with my mission I have learned the two hardest by far to put on the altar of sacrifice are fear, and pride, and trust me both of these kill your ability to teach by the Spirit. Don't be afraid the worst they can do is say no, don't be afraid because that is is a lack of faith.

On the other hand don't be over the top and arrogant because that just makes people angry or makes them feel afraid. Pride and fear are two emotions that literally have nothing to do with the Spirit. God feels a lot of emotions like us, love, hate(of sin), anger, sorrow, all of these God feels, but I am convinced that two emotions that are completely of the devil are fear, and pride. 

Don't be afraid but don't be arrogant either, humility isn't being afraid, its recognizing your complete dependence on God and then showing your confidence in Him by doing what He says and being obedient - faith. Humility and Faith are the opposites of fear and pride. 

Read over and over again Alma 17 and 1 Corinthians Chapters 1 and 2 and Chap. 4 of PMG

Trying harder and miracles

At the start of this week I wasn't having the best time. Maybe you haven't noticed but I haven't had a baptism in 10 months....I know I'm not here to baptize, I'm here to serve haha but after 10 months of working my hardest and still not having a baptism I couldn't take it anymore. We were gonna baptize in Durango haha but the week before my 2 converts were baptized I got transfered (they still got baptized so its all good). Hmo Fransisco in Tlahualilo will be baptized in 2 weeks (I'm so happy for him he's gonna be a great leader in the church one day) and I won't get to be there. I look around and I see elderes that don't work at all, that are super disobedient, that hate and can't speak spanish that will baptize every transfer. I get to my area here in Chavez and the elders before me didn't really do a whole lot, so we had no one. Our mission president is focusing a lot on baptism, in trainings, in interviews, the focus is baptism...and I haven't baptized. He recieves revelation for the mission, he knows our potential in the mission, and our potential is to be baptizing every week. So I said a prayer, I promised God I would hold nothing back, I would do better, there are days when I don't really try my hardest, I'm always pretty obedient to the letter of the law but so often I lack the spirit of it. So often I'm negative, sarcastic, whiney, haha I'm not here to have a good time, I'm here because the field is white and ready for the harvest. I promised God I would be nicer to my companion (haha he's a hard companion)

And I did, I gave it my all this week, I talked to everybody, Everybody, I tried extra hard with my companion, from the time the sun comes up til the minute it's time to call it a day I talked to everyone. and God really did give us miracles. In one week we found 4 families that are pure gold. I begged God to give us the Spirit more in lessons and boom we had every lesson with a really strong Spirit and for the first time since I got here 4 weeks ago we had an investigator with a baptimal date show up to church.

But last week was nothing. This week I will do better than I did, I have finally really unlocked the secret to losing myself here, I really did lose myself last week, this week I'm going to do it again, but more.

With all I did this week I also have learned a very important lesson lately that I'd like to share especially with Matt. Very few things will drive the Spirit away in the mission like number 1 focusing on numbers and number 2 criticizing your companion, even in your mind.

They both are signs of pride and if you are prideful God will leave you to yourself. There have been weeks when I have tried to have lessons just to put a stupid number on the charts, I've rushed through lessons just so we could squeeze 2 bad lessons into the time when we could have had 1 good one.

Matt, the number is the result, not the purpose nor the focus. Do not focus on the numbers, because when we focus on numbers then we don't have converts, when we focus on the numbers we might have a ton of lessons, but in the end it still ends with no conversion, neither for you nor for your investigators. Also don't criticize your companion even in your mind, you won't have the spirit, so you won't have a purpose.

It's all about the family!

 Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

First of all I tried to send an email last week but the internet here is horrible, so it didn't go through.

We had a really good week, we contacted and invited the whole world to General conference this weekend, it was actually really cool to talk about the prophet and the importance of his call for the whole week. Nothing really compares to conference in the mission, it is such a comforting and powerful spirit to listen to the Prophets and apostles of God speak to us. One of my favorite scriptures is the one mentioned above, Ephesians 2:20.

I felt the reality of this scripture this weekend, the foundation of the authority of our Father in Heaven given to these men whose counsel is the counsel of our Heavenly Father for His children, I never really felt the power that these men have, the authority they have in the priesthood and the power of their testimonies until I got in the mission - and every conference in the mission I can feel it more. They are not just our leaders, they are ordained of God, servants and even friends of Jesus Christ. I see a lot of decay both in the world and in the church here in Mexico. Its so empowering to see that the church will not fall, for Christ Himself is our principal leader and His servants, the prophets, guides that will not lead us astray.

The central message of the conference for me - IT IS ALL ABOUT THE FAMILY - the gospel, the plan of salvation, the priesthood, covenants,  the church, the Atonement, everything is about the family. If we aren't focusing on the family as young men, as missionaries, return missionaries, leaders of the church, in everything we do really, then were missing the point haha. The covenants and the power God as given us in His church is for no other purpose than for the Exaltation of His children, something that can not be gained without the family. I love conference in the mission and hope it will be as good when I come home.   

We had 3 investigators show up to the conference, haha invited like 50 but hey 3 is better than 0. They all had a really good experience and we will be inviting them to be baptized this week, if the testimony of the Spirit through living prophets cant help them see the importance of baptism, I don't really know what will.... I really have had a good week.